Sacrificial Giving

Landmark Christian School was established through the vision and generosity of its founders who heeded God's calling to build a Christian School in the Atlanta's Southern Crescent. Since the beginning, Landmark has been blessed with a loyal community of charitable supporters. We are especially grateful to our current parents who annually choose to include the school in their personal giving; in particular we prayerfully thank the hundreds of families who did so during the past school year. Landmark also enjoys the consistent and sacrificial support of its Board of Directors, faculty and staff, and many of its grandparents, parents of alumni, graduates and friends. Thanks to your ongoing investment in our daily work Landmark Christian School will continue positively to transform the k4-12 experiences of its student body. We appreciate your support!

Cash or Check
Cash gifts are the easiest and most common form of giving. Cash gifts are tax deductible up to 50% of your adjusted gross income in the year of your gift. If the gift exceeds 50%, the remainder may be carried over and used as a deduction for up to five years. Checks should be made payable to Landmark Christian School.

Online Giving by Credit Card: 
Secure donations can be made online through PayPal. Simply click the “Give Online” button at the top of this page, and follow the instructions.

Appreciated Assets
Donors often choose to gift appreciated assets such as whole shares of stock/securities or real property. In this way they can avoid capital gains taxes and transfer more resources to the school than if they had given an outright cash gift.

Please contact the Office of Advancement at 770-692-6758 for fool-proof instructions for transferring these assets broker-to-broker.

Matching Gifts
You can multiply your gift to Landmark Christian School if your employer has a matching gift program. Many companies have programs that will double or even triple the tax-deductible contributions made by their employees. Check with your personnel office to find out about your company's matching gift program

Endowment Funds
Landmark Christian School’s endowment program is a key component of its long term strategic operating plan. As such, in 2008 the Headmaster and Board of Directors defined that income from the endowment, once funded and invested, will be used positively to impact students, teachers and the care and maintenance of buildings and grounds. In addition, the board also created a formal gift acceptance and spending policy, and made accommodations for donors to create their own “named” endowment funds for specific purposes that are dear to them and in-line with the school’s strategic goals.

For instance, a permanent, named Endowed Fund for Needs-Based Financial Aid may be established by a minimum outright gift of $50,000. A permanent, named Endowed Enrichment Fund can be established for a minimum outright gift of $25,000. Enrichment funds provide resources to teachers, facility maintenance or program support. A permanent, named Endowed Prize Fund may also be established for gifts less than $25,000 depending upon the goal of each fund. Such prizes are often annual awards to students or teachers for superlative performance in a discipline or unique area of interest.

For a more complete explanation of giving to endowment please contact the Office of Advancement at 770-692-6758.

Planned Giving
Planned gifts are an effective way to make a contribution to Landmark Christian School while maximizing your personal financial goals and tax-wise estate planning needs. There are a number of planned gift vehicles to meet almost every need, and the advantages are numerous:

To provide income for yourself and loved ones
To avoid or delay capital gains taxes on appreciated long-term assets
To increase income
To reduce federal estate taxes and probate costs
To provide diversification and management of your investments
To know that you are making a meaningful gift to Landmark Christian School.

Some types of Gift Plans…

Bequests
Perhaps the easiest way to create a legacy that supports Landmark long into the future is by adding the school as a beneficiary in your last Will and Testament.

Bequests can be a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or a percentage of the residual amount of your estate. By naming Landmark Christian School in your will you may avoid considerable estate taxes. Assets such as IRAs, 401(k) s, and other qualified retirement plans, for example, may be bequeathed to Landmark passing to the school tax-free and thus lowering your estate’s taxable base.

Feel free to contact the Office of Advancement at 770-692-6758 for sample bequest language.

Charitable Lead Trust
A charitable lead trust enables you to provide Landmark with the income from the trust over a period of years. When the trust term expires, the remaining assets revert to you or your beneficiaries. Significant savings of gift or estate taxes may be realized when the lead trust principal passes to your beneficiaries. This is an excellent way of retaining hard-earned assets within your family, while simultaneously making a generous gift to Landmark.

Charitable Gift Annuity/Charitable Remainder Trusts

Many different assets may be used to fund a planned gift that will pay income for life including securities, real estate, closely held stock, life insurance, and qualified retirement plans. The donor's needs and gift planning instrument will determine the best asset to be used to fund the gift plan.

A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract between you and Landmark. In exchange for your irrevocable gift, Landmark agrees to pay one or two annuitants whom you name a fixed sum each year for life. The payments are guaranteed by the general resources of Landmark. Landmark uses the rates recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities.

A charitable remainder trust is a gift plan defined by federal law that allows you to provide income to yourself or others while making a generous gift to Landmark. The income may continue for the lifetimes of the beneficiaries you name, at a fixed term of not more than 20 years, or any combination of years thereof. When the trust term ends, the trust's principal passes to Landmark to be used as you designate.

When considering a bequest, annuity or trust to Landmark Christian School, we recommend that you consult your tax advisor first. However, our professional staff would be pleased to provide you with additional information and to work with you and your personal tax advisors to discuss a gift plan best suited for your circumstances.

Landmark Christian School maintains a close partnership with the National Christian Foundation, who will serve as administrator of each gift annuity and trust agreement as a service to both parties.

For more information, please contact
Martin J. Riggs
Director of Advancement
mriggs@landmark-cs.org
770.692.6758